There are many reasons pests come into our homes. Our homes offer a source of shelter, warmth, food, and water. But, having a pest infestation can be stressful; pests can eat your food, chew on your wiring, and bring diseases that can negatively harm you and your family's health. In this blog, we'll discuss the pests that tend to be drawn to your home's pantry.
Ants
Ants are a common nuisance to almost all homeowners. Even though they are small insects, they tend to live in colonies of over 100,000, meaning if you see one, there is a high chance there are a lot more lurking in your home. Ants reproduce quickly, which is what makes it hard to quickly and totally clear them out of your home. Ants are most often spotted by food, especially food high in fat, or by standing water, like your pet's water dish. Most at-home ant repellents don't do a great job of killing the colony but tend to just repel ants and have them reform their colonies and nests in a different location. Calling an expert pest control technician is your best bet to remove and eliminate an ant infestation fully.
Flies
Having a nice piece of fruit during the day can be a delicious and healthy treat. If you have fresh fruit on your counters, fruit flies probably have a similar thought. Flies aren't picking they don't mind eating your fresh fruit or your old fruit in your garbage inside or outside of your house. They are drawn to moist, damp, or rotting surfaces because that's where female flies can lay up to 2,000 eggs at once. Even though their life span is short, around 8 to 15 days, they reproduce quickly, so there is almost always a high number of them. A simple DIY fruit fly trap is taking a jar of something sweet, like wine, and placing perforated plastic wrap over it. The flies will be attracted to the sweet liquid but unable to escape through the plastic wrap.
Cockroaches
In the pest world, cockroaches are referred to as "hitchhikers." They were given this nickname because they tend to enter your home by catching a ride on your furniture or groceries. They tend to dwell in the walls of your home and are attracted to crumbs and wood surfaces, which is why you might find them hanging out in your kitchen or pantry. Cockroaches are a hard pest to get rid of, but the best way is to remove their source of food by making sure crumbs are cleaned up, your trash has a tight lid, and removing your food from your cabinet. Without a steady food source, the cockroaches will become stressed and either die or move on to another location.
Mice
Mice, rats, and more rodents - oh my! Mice are one of the harder pests to eliminate on your own. They tend to only lurk behind and in your walls and emerge into your kitchen or basement at night. Mice and other rodents are drawn to your home for the steady source of warmth, repopulate, and food. Mice are dangerous because they often carry disease; they also need to gnaw on wood or wires to prevent their teeth from growing too long. They are a threat to both your health and your home. You can tell if a rodent has been in your pantry because you'll find bite marks on boxes or bags of food or droppings. You may also smell a faint urine odor if a rodent has been through your pantry.
For all of your pest control needs in Columbia, South Carolina, contact Modern Exterminating Co Inc at (803) 205-2744! We take pride in making sure you are given great service at an even better price.